Disk Error (WinXP install)

[C_ntua]

So I need to reinstall Windows XP on a computer cause it failing to start windows. Tried a few things, didn't work so format seemed like a good solution.
So there are 2 partitions, a 30gb and a 120gb one. I want to install windows on the 30gb one.
So in anycase I select the 30gb partition for WinXP to be installed in and select to do a proper format (NTFS).
It formats the partition then restarts and then just gives me a disk error, when it tries to boot from the HD. It only gives the option of pressing ctrl+alt+del to restart

Has anybody any ideas on why this might happen?

[Fordy]

You might need a disk driver (SATA, SCSi, ...) that isnt provided as part of a Win XP installation.

Try google your specific model (pc) and "reinstall windows" and see what comes up

[C_ntua]

I have done it a couple of times though and they weren't required. So I don't think that's the problem

[Elysia]

You have run a standard chkdsk test on the disk, right?
Also, you have more than one hard drive / partition?
Sometimes, installers can get confused and try to boot from the wrong drive / partition. The only way to fix that is to edit the boot.ini file.

[C_ntua]

Yup have tried chkdsk. It said it fixed some errors.
Have on HD but two partitions.

Edit the boot.ini file e? Makes sense. Thanx, will try it and see what happens

[C_ntua]

Well, when I tried to modify boot.ini somebody had already tried installing Vista. And no boot.ini from Vista.

I currently have Ubuntu that worked. With grub I change all possible partitions to boot to windows but doesn't work. The first two give error messages as expected and the other that supposingly has Vista just freezes there.

I believe it indeed tries to boot from the wrong partition, but how can I fix this in Vista? Tried BCDedit but with no luck. Automatic fixing it with repair from Vista CD doesn't help either, gives me that it has no errors.

What could be wrong. Wouldn't grub load Vista from the correct location

[cyberfish]

Or your harddrive can be dying.

Try your harddrive manufacturer's scanning program, and do an extended scan.

[C_ntua]

The problem was fixed. Just made one partition and windows where installed normally. So it was indeed booting from the wrong partition.
Either I messed up when trying to fix it with bcdedit.exe from vista, or just it created it own will and refused to work with two partitions.

[Elysia]

Typical Windows - it's not very informative when something goes wrong with the boot. It just says "disk error" or "can't find NTLDR" or something like that, but it doesn't actually say if it can open the partition itself or if there is a read problem on the disk, etc.

[C_ntua]

Well put. That is exactly the problem.
When I put for example ubuntu and I had to choose manually the partitions it gives you a short graphical display of the partitions. And it specifies that windows actually loaded from the wrong parition.

Windows do provide the tools to fix this kind of problems (I believe almost all of them), but it does a really bad job finding the job in order to guide you to what to do